Ohio Feeling Effects of Minimum Wage Increase (Rest of US not far behind)

The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register ^ | 05 Jan 07 | MICHELLE BLUM

[jwparkerjr]

I do not really have links to show this. I am speaking from 40 plus years in the work-a-day world, 25 in 'progressively responsible management positions."

My first experience was with an ambulance service in 1970. They started everyone at minimum wage. I think it was $1.25 an hour at the time. After training you got a raise to $1.30. If you were a driver you made #1.50 an hour. If you became both a driver and a field training person you made $1.75. These numbers are approximate. After 30 some odd years I've forgotten the actual amounts. When the minimum wage went to $1.35 an hour every employee along the line got a $.10 an hour raise. Terrible things happen to payroll costs when you must staff a business 24-7-365. I forget the exact amount, but each nickel per hour cost the company thousands of dollars a year.

I have a friend who was the CFO of the ambulance company and I will ask him about the specifics. It got much worse when the private company was taken over by the county. As a private company they were able to require employees to be on the job 24 hours, but pay them for only 16 hours, the remaining 8 hours being "sleep time". During sleep time they had to pay you only for the hours you actually were on a call. The private company had a schedule of 24 hours on, 24 off. Every morning of your life you were either going to, or getting off, work. The county couldn't do that and had to pay for every hour on the job and had a 24-48 schedule. One day on, two days off.

Let me check with this guy and see what he can allow for us. He's really good when it comes to payroll numbers. He used to sit in the union negotiations and do the math in his head!

[You Dirty Rats]

People need to be educated.

Kids are not educated in this country; they are institutionalized.

[RockinRight]

You've got that right!

Although I didn't necessarily mean the SCHOOLS had to educate them.

[freeperfromnj]

First time I saw that picture. Sure does make us look weak to our enemies.

[hgro]

Horse hockey rules.

[proud_yank]

I would expect unions to support such policy to a great degree. I couldn't find anything on that site though linking a union employees wages as the minimum wage is increased.